


(Re)Ignite the Universe

by EnigmaticPerfection



Series: Enigmatic's Season 8 fics [4]
Category: Arrow (TV 2012)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Established Oliver Queen/Felicity Smoak, F/M, Family Bonding, Family Feels, Fix-It, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Happy Ending, Hurt/Comfort, Married Oliver Queen/Felicity Smoak, Quarantine and Chill Fic Drive (Arrow TV 2012), Reunions, Smoak-Queen Family, The Queen Family (Arrow TV 2012)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-08
Updated: 2020-04-08
Packaged: 2021-03-02 01:41:12
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,864
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23547043
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/EnigmaticPerfection/pseuds/EnigmaticPerfection
Summary: Felicity Smoak broke the day she received the news her husband died, and life became existence.Until her security system alerted an intruder and she finally made it out of bed.(In which Oliver Queen gets the ending he deserves)
Relationships: Oliver Queen/Felicity Smoak, William Clayton & Oliver Queen & Felicity Smoak & Mia Smoak
Series: Enigmatic's Season 8 fics [4]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1556611
Comments: 20
Kudos: 129
Collections: Quarantine and Chill Fic Drive 2020





	(Re)Ignite the Universe

**Author's Note:**

> Quarantine & Chill Fic Drive: ‘Fix-It’ prompt
> 
> DISCLAIMER: I started writing this after I read quite some time ago this theory on Twitter “what if Earth-16 Oliver actually became Spectre instead of our Oliver?” or something like this. I ended up losing screenshot I took and forgot the @. So, while the fic is entirely mine, the idea that sparked it isn’t. If you came up with this theory, you got the credit, kudos, thank you so much and hope you enjoy this.
> 
> I didn’t watch Season 8 much less the crossover, but I have an idea of what happened. Needless to say I didn't like the official ending.
> 
> English is not my first language and I don’t have a beta, so apologies for any mistakes.

It was news everywhere.

The world didn’t fully understand the crazy stuff that happened over the last days, but they knew who stopped and fixed everything.

The former billionaire heir.

The Green Arrow.

Oliver Queen.

Her... everything. A universe of his own, full of murky darkness but also the brightest, purest, more enchanting rays of light. Light that ultimately overcame darkness and basked him in life.

Felicity’s stages of grief were a mess. As soon as she saw the news announcing the death of Oliver Queen, she refused to believe. The remote fell off her hand as she stared at the screen in her living room.

No way, she’d find him and that meant he didn’t die, he couldn’t. Felicity would’ve felt it. The thread that connected their hearts and souls would’ve snapped.

Then... there was anger. For some reason, she still couldn’t take her eyes off the TV. Star City, the country, everybody was honoring Oliver Queen, his heroism and sacrifice.

Felicity kind of hated it.

It was always like this. People were only truly appreciated when they died. Oliver had always been a hero, always selfless and willing to help the others out of love and humanity. They couldn’t simply start praising him when during his life they only crapped on him.

Though she did see the truth in their hypocritical eulogies. And she agreed with it. It’s just... Oliver deserved better.

Then there was the worst part of grief: the catatonic state. It came with acceptance.

Her best friend, her husband died.

She’d never see or feel or listen to him. She’d never get lost in his embrace and be wrapped in safety, feel his lips brushing her forehead and hairline as he always liked to do. Never hear his laugh or see his grins, things that were so rare when she first met him and over the years became significantly more common as Oliver found his way back into life and light again.

He was gone.

Forever.

Gone like the hero he was, giving his life so the entire universe could survive. He gave his life for people who didn’t deserve. Because that was who he was.

Oliver Queen died and so did a part of Felicity Smoak.

She couldn’t get out of bed. She only did it for Mia, her sweet, fiery baby who needed her so damn much. Felicity hated she couldn’t give her daughter what she deserved right now.

Apparently Mia sensed what was going one because since the moment Oliver died she cried more than usual. Felicity tried to soothe her, but ended up crying as well. She tried to keep a somehow neutral face whenever she walked into the nursery, but couldn’t keep it. Looking at her daughter and seeing her resemblance to her father destroyed her even more. The agony was unbearable.

She had the help of her incredible step-son. William was doing more of what he should, so much on his shoulder for a thirteen-year-old boy. She was thankful he was there but she also felt guilty for burdening him and for not being the parent figure he deserved.

William suffered as much as she did, she knew it. After all he lost his other biological parent. Not to mention that losing Oliver had been William’s greatest fear since Samantha died and also because of him being the Green Arrow.

Suddenly Felicity’s life became existence and it was limited by her bedroom. The room she shared with her husband for mere months, where she gave birth to Mia, where she had her last happy moments with him.

She was spiraling and falling and she knew she had to get out of that depressing state, but she also... couldn’t.

“Special delivery.” The voice sounded as an attempt to bring humor, but it came out dry and a bit shaky at the end. The words broke the dreadful silence that filled and suffocated every inch of the room.

Felicity moved her glance up, off the ground, and met her sweet boy by the door, carrying a trey with two fuming bowls. The rich scent travelled through the air and hit her senses.

“Chicken noodle soup”, William announced still by the door.

It smelled like the one Oliver used to cook.

A wave crashed into Felicity. Pain, agony, longing.

Her eyes moved over his face, capturing every detail that was Oliver. William resembled his father so much. She knew he’d also be a gorgeous man when he grew up. She was glad his resemblance to his father also reflected on cooking skills.

Felicity’s appetite had drastically dropped, which just showed how depressed she was because her pattern when it came to anxiety was stress eat. But she knew she had to regain some energy to look after her kids.

Struggling, her body numb, she sat on the bed. William walked in and placed the trey on the mattress. He climbed into the other side - Oliver’s side - and grabbed one of the bowls. Felicity took the other. They rested against the headboard.

Felicity took the first bite. It tasted so much like Oliver’s her eyes started to water. She’d been sure she didn’t have tears left to cry after those days. She actually felt a bit of her usual appetite return and for the first time in days she savored a meal.

“It’s... perfect, William”, she said in a weepy tone.

He opened a bashful smile. “Thanks.”

Felicity suddenly felt like saying a lot, but she didn’t. _Later_ , she told herself not to bring back the contradictory hollow feeling that carved into her stomach. She wanted to eat otherwise she’d start crying again and become a mess.

They ate in silence, just enjoying each other’s company. Incredibly Felicity finished the entire bowl. She was just sipping absentmindedly and then... her spoon screeched the bottom of the bowl. First fully devoured meal in days.

“I guess it was as good as dad’s?” William tried to say in a light-warmed tone. He glanced sidelong at her, having finished his. He struggled with eating too, but not so much.

“It indeed was. He’d be proud of you”, she said, eyes watering again.

Felicity could actually picture the scene. William serving the food, Oliver looking at his bowl with his soft, loving smile reserved to his family, then he’d taste, let out a hum of content, lift his sparkling eyes to his son and open a dimply grin, her favorite, and gush about William’s skills.

A tear rolled off her eye.

“Felicity?” William called, placing the bowl back on the trey and moving his body towards her.

“Sorry”, she wept. The words just flowed in a rush. “I just... I feel like I’m putting too much on your shoulders. You’re just a boy, Will, you deserve to be out there living your life, yet here you are, helping me with your sister, cooking, all that while grieving because I just... broke, and I-I can’t seem to put m-my pieces back, and I need to, my family n-needs me.”

She didn’t know she started fully crying. She sobbed, air coming out in ragged breaths.

William reached out, crossing the mattress, and cupped her shoulder. The familiar gesture just made her cry more.

“Felicity, there’s nothing I’m not doing out of my will. I want to help. And I get you, I get why you feel the way you do.” His words failed, voice shaking, his own emotions overtaking him. “You and Mia are the only family I have left.”

Felicity lifted her eyes to him, meeting his own bloodshot eyes and forlorn expression. At least he tried to fight the sadness, tried to see some sort of silver lining.

As for her... she was drowning in agony and darkness, unable to see the light.

Oh, how she remembered all the times Oliver was brooding and sulking and how she took him out of that.

It suddenly dawned on her. She was Oliver’s moral guide, she reconnected him back with light and love and compassion until one day he was carrying the torch on his own. Of course she had to live her grief, but she couldn’t drown in it. Otherwise it would taint and dishonor her story with her husband.

She’d take all her lessons and all he taught her and get out of that ugly place. For her family, yes, but above all for Oliver. For how much he grew, how much he fought. For their love. Even in death, he’d be her strength and guide.

She knew she’d never truly be happy again. She’d just have to learn how to live in a universe without her own sun. Because, just like she was his, he was her center and now without him she was spinning out of orbit.

“We have to take care of each other”, she said in a faint voice.

“We do. And we’ll manage. We’ll learn how to live with the pain.”

“Your father would want us to live.”

Some teardrops rolled from William’s eyes. “He would. Pretty sure that’s why he sacrificed himself.”

But the biggest reason Felicity had to fight the angst was her promise to Oliver. She promised she’d take care of their children and do whatever she could to keep them safe.

She didn’t know who leaned in first, she only registered being in a tight embrace with her son. They squeezed each other, trying both to give and get comfort.

Time passed as they were tangled in one another. Eventually they broke apart. William left the room to wash the dishes whilst Felicity headed to Mia’s room.

William returned to the bedroom when Felicity was trying to put Mia to sleep. She was a bit whiny and annoyed, but her eyes lit up at the sight of her brother. With a genuine grin, William walked in and jumped on the bed. He pretended to fight her in the sweetest, most adorable match Felicity had seen. Her chest lightened at the sight and for the first time since Oliver died and a glimpse of happiness blossomed in her heart. She even openly sighed in awe with the scene. Mia’s giggles filled the air along with William’s gleeful shouts.

When the boy stopped, Mia was sprawled in the middle of the bed. Felicity leaned in, still grasping at that tiny bubble of joy, and brushed a kiss on her head. Mia opened a drowsy smile, those adorable dimples she most definitely inherited from her father, warming her mother’s heart.

“Teething is really bothering her, isn’t it?” William asked.

“It is. But I don’t think she’s focusing on that now.”

Felicity took her daughter in her arms, cradling her. One of her fingers traced the baby’s face in the lightest, gentlest of touches. Her index stopped on the bridge of her nose, going up and down in calm, rhythmic motion. It was something she accidentally discovered and learned was a trick to put the baby to sleep. Except it wasn’t working in the teething season. But now, Felicity gazed lovingly at her daughter’s face relaxing more and more and soon Mia fell asleep.

With most care, Felicity placed the baby back on the middle of the mattress. She wanted to fill her daughter’s warmth as she slept - or tried to.

“Well, I think I’m going to sleep to.” William moved to the end of the bed.

“No, stay too. The family is sticking together.”

“I’ll brush my teeth, put on my pjs and be back.” The boy smiled.

When Felicity turned off the light, looking at her children settled on her bed, feeling a little better, she could for the first time truly fall asleep. It wasn’t the best of nights as she woke up a few times but there were no nightmares.

The next day, day three after Oliver’s death, began in a robotic, automatic way. Felicity went with the motion. Feeding Mia, having coffee, forcing some food inside. She didn’t come close to her phone or tv or the internet. She watched Mia play with her toys and let out strangled sobs when the little girl sprawled her tiny body over the giant and fluffy elephant pillow her father so excitedly bought, one of her favorite toys. But inevitably she found herself curled on her bed, hugging her late husband’s pillow and wearing his green hoodie she loved to steal.

Knowing one day his scent would forever vanish broke her already shattered heart and turned the pieces into dust. She let out a wimp.

She was barely aware of the what happened outside the bedroom. Didn’t register the distant sounds that hushed and broke the silence in the house. Eventually her ears captured a robotic noise. It took a while for Felicity to realize it was her security system. She sat on the mattress because she might be a mess but that didn’t mean she wouldn’t fight for her children.

_Green Arrow entering Queen Residence._

_Green Arrow entering Queen Residence._

_Green Arrow entering Queen Residence._

That was it. She lost it. She crossed to the point of no return.

Her stupid creation was screwing with her. Was the robot uprising beginning? Well then.

The noise continued to repeat. Rushing sounds unfolded on the other side of the door.

Annoyed and sad, Felicity got up to shut the damn system. Almost bumped into William in the hallway. The boy seemed to have just finished a marathon. His face was red, eyes shining - tears? -, he panted and grinned.

“Felicity!” he exclaimed and his voice was cheerful, light, happy. “Felicity, Felicity, Felicity! He’s here! Not dead”, he stuttered.

Now her son was part of the demise. Or maybe he joined her in the madness.

William threw his arms around her, startling her. “You have to see it!”

She got out of the embrace delicately, not wanting him to feel rejected. She was just too focused on the intruder that was playing with her grief.

“I will”, she affirmed with a fierceness she didn’t feel. “And go with your sister. Stay with her.”

William frowned. “What?”

But Felicity had passed through him. She turned off the damn system who still screamed Green Arrow, making the shards pierce her flash and bones. It said the intruder was outside.

Felicity installed the alarm in a way its range went far, crossed the yard and penetrated the trees.

She raised her eyes, scanning outside, the bright day helping her-

She stopped breathing.

Her heart leapt and rushed and exploded in her chest.

Shock. Pain. Agony.

She was hallucinating, some sane part of her brain screamed. She hoped it was the sane part.

But maybe it wasn’t and her brain fried. Because suddenly, somehow, her body was moving in a hectic, rushed way and she was leaving the cabin and going down the steps that lead to the green grass and-

And she stopped.

Her steps faltered, she came to a halt.

Her pulse echoed loudly in her ears.

She stared at the intruder. Mouth agape, eyes widened.

She forgot her survival instincts, everything she was taught about defense and safety. Forgot how to breathe, how to function.

There was the intruder. In the middle of the grass, in bright day light. He no longer walked. Just stared at her.

With longing, wanting, happiness. Anxious, waiting.

Her security defense triggered because the man looked like Oliver Queen.

But no way. He was dead or gone and she knew she lived in a multiverse where a lot of Olivers existed-

“It’s me, honey.” The voice took her out of her desperate reverie. It sounded hoarse. The man carried a faint amused smile and she realized she said her last thought out loud. His features still carried caution and a hint of pain. “It’s really me. I know it will take you some time, I get, but William saw me and he knows. He rushed inside to get you.”

William. _Not dead_ , he’d said. Meaning his father was not dead. Meaning that man in front of her was really her Oliver.

The man who brought her a bullet-ridden laptop.

The masked vigilante hero.

Her friend.

Her most trusted confident.

Her lover.

Her husband.

The love of her life.

Felicity moved again. Oliver met her halfway.

He reached out but didn’t touch her, his arms hovering mere centimeters away from hers. He looked pretty much the same: scruffy jaw, hair a tad bit longer than usual. There was a tired weight on his face and his eyes still carried some sadness, but in no way clouded the sheer happiness and relief he felt.

His gaze was intent on hers and she felt the same intensity she did since day one. The same breathtaking intensity that conquered her.

The familiarity was not lost, she felt her breath be knocked out of her lungs. Warmth wrapped her.

She also noticed he didn’t touch her because he was waiting for her. Pure, ultimate respect, like her Oliver had always treated her.

“Listen to your heart, my love”, Oliver said softly, gently. That was his Felicity voice. The same tone he’d always used with her since they met, the tone that was exclusively, uniquely hers and that she could and would never forget. Voice that wrapped her and gave her whatever she needed: admiration, a boost in her confidence, respect, tenderness, encouragement.

Oliver dared to move, took her left hand with his own left hand. His skin was exactly as she remembered: deliciously warm, calloused, the perfect combination of smooth and rough. Big, it dwarfed hers. Slowly, carefully he placed her hand over his chest, covering with his.

Even with the clothes, she could feel his reverberating heartbeat. Loud, clear, fast. The good kind of fast. Filled with thrill and joy and life.

Felicity’s eyes for the first time drifted down, to their joined hands.

The first thing she saw was his wedding ring. So bright, as if it captured the entire light of the world - the universe - and reflected it. Just like hers. The pair of rings he crafted, side by side for the first time in months and it seemed so right.

And then it all came crashing down on Felicity.

An avalanche that ironically removed the weight of her shoulders, her body, her soul and healed her broken shatters. And then light overtook her again, warming her with a fresh breeze. She was calm, floating. In peace.

Her Oliver didn’t die. He was alive. Right there, in front of her, touching her.

Oliver was the air she needed to breathe and he was back and she was breathing again.

His gesture didn’t go by unnoticed by her. It was symbolic as so many things were for them. She remembered she used to touch his heart whenever he needed to be grounded. To feel. To listen to his heart and see the truth.

It happened when he was Al Sah-him, when he was under the Vertigo influence.

And now it came full circle.

She felt his heart beating and she knew the truth.

She allowed herself to feel the tingling tug inside her. The thread that connected him to her that had been claiming, shouting _Oliver is alive, Oliver is real, Oliver is in front of you_. She should’ve trusted it from the beginning. She still felt connected to him because he was never gone.

Identification hit her, that unique feeling that drawn her to him the first second she laid her eyes on him.

Her hand fisted, gripped his shirt. Felicity looked back up, back at his shiny eyes. So patient, so full of love.

“Oliver... it’s you. It’s really you”, she breathed. He opened such a beautiful smile that made her legs tremble.

Felicity threw her arms around him so hard it almost took off his balance. Oliver chuckled, readily hugging her back, one arm around her waist, the other covering her back. They let out a deep, content sigh, removing all the darkness, the dread and the agony that still lingered inside them. He squeezed her and took her off the ground. He dove his face on her neck as her head laid on top of his. His stubble brushed her skin, unleashing shivers all over her body. He inhaled her scent the same way she did with him.

Time didn’t make sense anymore as they lingered. Their bodies were pressed to tightly it seemed they wanted to merge into each other so they’d never be apart again. Felicity would be fine with it, she didn’t want to let go. Heat and love were everywhere, mending their hearts and minds.

Two universes colliding again and creating a new, beautiful, unique thing that was theirs and theirs only. Unmatched power.

Another sigh from them, and Oliver lowered his wife down, placing her feet gently on the ground. Felicity removed her face off him and looked at him, their arms still holding each other. Her left hand raised to his face, lightly trembly, and caressed him. Oliver closed his eyes and relaxed into her touch, head tilting. The tiredness was out of his face and he just glowed.

“Felicity.” He savored her name the way he always did. He could convey an entire speech, one million emotions. “I missed you so much.”

“And I missed you. So much I can’t even imagine a life I don’t have you.”

And with those words she remembered the agony she lived for the past two days.

“What happened?” Her voice grew sober. How could he make her believe he was dead for days, even a few?

But, said the part of her who was deliriously happy with the outcome, something must have happened that prevented him. Oliver would never willingly let her suffer like that.

“You... died.” Her eyes filled with tears, her voice failed in the end. “It was everywhere. How... what...”

Felicity Smoak wasn’t someone to be rendered speechless but here she was. Lost for words after receiving the greatest present ever.

A shadow covered Oliver’s features. “The Green Arrow died. And an Oliver did die.”

The words hit Felicity and soon she learned what he meant. The Oliver that fought the last stand wasn’t her Oliver, but another Oliver from another Earth.

“I was ready to take the Spectre’s mantle, then... This Oliver showed up. Claimed he was from Earth-16 and Sara, our Sara, showed up and met him. His Earth...” Her Oliver paused, and sadness damped the sparkle she’d been seeing since her eyes landed on him. “It was this Earth going wrong. It started the same way my journey did, he met Diggle and you and... Somewhere along the way it all went to hell. He lost you, he lived in a dread world. Then Sara came to him and said how I turned out, how I became a hero, a father, a husband and had everything but was forced to leave behind. So he decided to take my place.” Oliver’s eyes filled with tears. His gaze was somewhere beyond Felicity and she knew he was remembering his talk with his doppelgänger. “He said he had nothing left, that he’d gladly become Spectre knowing that I would come back and live my life I’ve deep down yearned to.”

Oliver let out a deep sigh. Felicity caressed his face to comfort him. A smile curved her lips.

“Oliver Queen’s heart and selflessness know no boundaries. Your good nature is your essence and your heroism transcends into multiple Earths.”

Felicity silently prayed, thanking the other Oliver who made such sacrifice. _I will be eternally grateful._

Her Oliver was here. And he - _they_ \- would get to live the life they more than earned and deserved.

“So that Oliver died?”

“Not technically. He became... something else.” Oliver’s faced contorted in dread. “After the last fight, he struggled a bit with the Spectre power, recreating a new body and realigning himself with it. This is why he kept me away and also because we had to wait until the shock of the news passed not to ruin our plan. I’m so, so sorry you thought I was dead, I’m sorry for not coming back sooner, I would have, you know if I could I would’ve.”

“Oliver.” His name left her lips, encompassing everything. “I get it. And the important is that you’re here now.”

“Forever”, he added full of emotion. His features softened again. “I’m not going anywhere... Especially considering that the whole world thinks I’m dead.”

Felicity nodded, feeling a bit sad that Oliver would live his life but in hiding.

“Hey...” he said noticing her expression. His thumb brushed her jaw and tilted up her chin so she could look straight into those beautiful blue eyes, once a stormy, chaotic ocean and now a bright, dazzling one. He smiled. “I’m okay with this. As long as I’m with my family, I don’t care about never seeing the world again.”

She knew he was relieved. Letting the world believe he was dead would make his family safe.

“And I’m deeply sorry. I know I have to make up to you for not telling about the deal with the Monitor and I will for the rest of my days. I understand if your trust in me cracked, if you take a long time to forgive me or you never forgive me. But I speak with every truth from my being. I let go of this life and I’m starting a new one, right here and right now. No more separations. I can’t handle it anymore. We’ve said goodbye so many times and this will be the last.”

“Oliver”, she interrupted again. “I spent the last hours thinking you were dead. Yes, you were wrong in making another decision without me, but... You were dead.” The memories, the feelings from before came all rushing back. Felicity let them out, knowing only this way they would truly disappear. Go through darkness to destroy the darkness. Her voice shook again. “I thought I’d never see you again. I would’ve given anything, _anything_ , to at least use my loud voice at you.” She let out a dry laugh. “And now you’re here and I feel... relieved. I appreciate your apology and I forgive you.”

A tiny, petty part of Felicity questioned why she was forgiving so fast. But between forgiving Oliver and never getting to see him again, there was no choice to make.

“I know the situation wasn’t simply, nothing was ever simple with us. But I’m forgiving you for me, for us, so that we can live this new part of our life with nothing holding us back. You once told me people change, people are evolving but your feelings for me wouldn’t change. I feel the same. I’m glad you recognize your mistake and are willing to atone.”

Emotions danced on his face, overwhelming him. She saw the impact of her forgiveness in him.

“I love you so much. Our love is bigger than the freaking universe”, her husband declared. Felicity’s smile grew with her own words being quoted.

“It turned out I didn’t find you. You found me.”

Happy tears blurred her vision. She bit her lower lip. Oliver’s gaze drifted down to it, his thumb moved up and released her lip. His eyes darkened with want.

Felicity’s hands cupped his face, mirroring their first kiss ever, their first kiss as married couple and their last kiss. Standing on her tiptoes, she pulled his head down as Oliver bended. They met in the middle, lips touching.

Paradise. Home. It started sweetly, branding the promise of forever.

Stars realigned as they were rewritten since their universes clashed again.

Oliver’s arms pulled her closer, dwarfing her in his embrace and it was everything. They tasted each other’s lips, remembering, rediscovering. Slow and sensual. He felt exactly like the little pillow mountains she knew. Her heart pounded, and when she let out a throaty sigh, lips parting, he swallowed the sound, deepening the kiss and taking her breath away.

They parted, but remained closed, noses brushing, breathing each other’s air.

“Always the stealer”, he chuckled tugging at the green hoodie.

Oliver gazed at the cabin and she knew there was more for him to see.

“Come in, honey.” Felicity said with a grin and he mirrored her breaking a smile of his own.

She took his hand, lacing their fingers together, he gave her a squeeze. They walked back home.

Oliver looked around and Felicity watched him. It looked pretty much the same like his last time there. Except there were more toys scattered around the living room.

He was there now and it felt like he never left.

They soon found William. The boy’s grin lit up his face. He rushed and dove into Oliver’s arms.

“Welcome back home, dad.” When he got out of the hug, he looked at Felicity amusedly. “Told you it was him.”

“Ok, kiddo, you were right.” She rolled her eyes with a chuckle.

A cry cut the air, catching their attention. William looked at the hallway and sighed, “I thought I managed to calm her down.”

Uneasy longing crossed Oliver’s features. He rubbed his hands on his pants and she knew he was nervous.

She took his arm and let him down the hall. They were about to enter the nursery when her husband suddenly stopped.

“What if... what if she doesn’t remember me?” He sounded so vulnerable, so uncertain, and Felicity felt a pang in her chest.

With a soft, reassuring smile, Felicity rubbed his arms up and down. “Do you remember when you were pouty because Mia smiled at me and William but not you?”

His face started to soften. “I do”, he chuckled.

“Glad you can finally admit your pouting”, she teased before continuing the story. “And I told you it was because she felt so safe in your arms she relaxed and dozed off. I told you you are her favorite pillow.” He nodded slowly. “And eventually...”

“She did smile at me”, he added.

“Precisely. This feeling of being safe... it doesn’t go away. So as soon as she feels it again she will know. Because it’s something carved in her soul. You’re part of her. This bond is eternal.”

Oliver took a deep breath and leaned his forehead against his wife’s. “How is it you always know what to say?”

“It’s a gift”, she teased.

She let him go and walked into the room. She no longer felt incapable, but the mother she knew she could be.

“Hey, Mia angel, what’s up?” she cooed. Approaching the crib, she took her baby in her arms. Felicity went by her checklist of things she knew to look for: signs of a cold, fever, nausea. No need to change diaper. She knew it wasn’t hunger as she just fed her. Maybe she had some colic.

Or maybe it was the ambience. Dread had taken over the cabin over the last days and the baby felt it.

Mia looked up at her mother, her crying damping. Felicity knew she felt the change in her antics. She was glad she no longer carried grief to that room and poisoned her precious daughter.

“Or is it you just want some cuddles? Oh my little angel, I know these last two days were awful, sorry if I made you feel alone and terrified, but it’s over now.” Felicity cuddled her, knowing how much she neglected maternal duties. Mia buried her face in her shoulder.

Her crying stopped when she lifted her head and spotted Oliver, who stood by the door. He stared at them, had hands in his pockets, shy but also full of hope and longing. His eyes zeroed on the baby.

Curiosity crossed Mia’s features, then she adorably tilted her head. Then she started fuzzing in Felicity’s arms, reaching an arm towards her father.

Oliver swallowed hard, his face an open book full of emotion. Tears prickled his eyes. He crossed the distance between. “Hi, Mia”, he gasped.

She touched his chest as it was the closest thing she could reach and patted him. Oliver bent his head and sniffed the baby, eyes closing and a content sigh leaving his lips. “You always scent of dream come true.”

Felicity just watched with most care father and daughter reconnecting. Her husband pressed his lips against their baby’s forehead with the tenderest of kisses. His trembling hand rose and he brushed his thumb under her eyes, wiping the tears. Mia gripped his shirt, arms moving. Didn’t even look like she cried. Her other hand went for Oliver’s hand and she found his wedding ring and started to play with it, trying to move it up and down.

“She likes playing with mine too”, her mother revealed.

Oliver opened another touching smile, gaze never leaving their daughter. Mia writhed more, her face changing into annoyance.

“Alright, alright, you wild bundle of cute impatience. Go with your daddy, he misses you a lot and I know you miss him too.”

Oliver opened his arms and Mia dove into them. He held her as if he’d never left, with so much confidence. Her tiny arms got a grip on him and one of her hands found his scruff. She yelled excitedly then started to giggle while petting him.

Felicity grinned, feeling the happiest she’d ever been. Oliver held Mia tight, cuddling her and buried his face in her. He started to cry, overwhelmed by all he’d been through, but above all with relief. Mia frowned at him, making him laugh in the midst of tears.

“Yeah... well, she’s seen a lot of tears over the last days. So I’d try to hold them for a while”, Felicity said barely holding her own.

Oliver glanced at her and nodded in understanding.

“Don’t you dare feeling guilty for crying, Oliver”, his wife said firmly. “It’s a different kind of crying.”

He turned to Mia again and bounced her. She smiled at him and just like that her father was gone. His tears eventually dried, his face was brighter than the sun, eyes sparkled with joy and love, lips curved in a dimply smile. That baby had him wrapped around her finger since she gave her first breath in this world.

“My sweet angel, I missed you so much. You were with me the whole time. I love you, I love you.” He stopped the bounce and peppered kisses all over Mia’s face, making her burst into more giggles.

Felicity’s heart grew with so much warmth and happiness she felt.

“Crisis averted!” William shouted, appearing at the threshold. “Ops, poor choice of words.”

The adults laughed.

Felicity sauntered to her husband and wrapped her arms around his waist. “Family hug!”

“Well then”, William said and walked into the room. Oliver passed his free arm over his shoulders and squeezed him closer.

With her most beloved people around, Felicity knew they’d finally live like a family.

The cabin transformed. Absolutely gone was the thick dread and grief that filled every particle. Now there was lightness and laughter. The rest of the day went by smoothly. Oliver, William and Mia played outside while Felicity watched. She almost had a heart attack when she saw Oliver launching the baby up in the air then catching her with ease. Mia loved it, wiggling her arms and legs. Her mother shook her head, knowing the bold, adventurous side came from her father. Mia was a wild ball of energy and curiosity, loud like a thunder, always eager to explore the world.

But even better was she sight of happy Oliver. He just couldn’t stop smiling. The tiredness wiped out of his face pretty fast. He got emotional again by seeing Mia crawling and her on the baby chair. She knew it hurt him that he lost crucial moments with their daughter, but she could see him trying to put it aside. He may have lost some months, but he’d be there for years.

And maybe, just maybe, he could have the full parent experience with another child.

For the first time in forever they had meal as a family. Felicity wasn’t that ashamed when shed a tear after tasting her husband’s food again.

“We know how to make a baby, huh”, Felicity said at night after putting Mia to sleep. Now they gazed at their precious cargo peacefully sleeping.

“We sure do.” Oliver had his Mia smile. “She’s perfect.”

They headed outside and sat on the bench, holding hands and watching the stars as they usually did before he left. They exchanged loving gazes, knowing this habit would return.

Oliver reached out and pulled her to his lap. Put his head on her chest, snuggling into her the way she knew he loved. He sighed and closed his eyes. She smiled, well aware that the former big, scary vigilante was a cuddler. Her arms wrapped around him because she loved being in his arms just the same.

Perfect. That’s what it felt being there again. After the reunion, they didn’t have time for themselves but now here they were.

Oliver nuzzled into her, his scruff brushing into her skin, and her nerves flared up. His lips touched her collarbone, first light as a feather then with more pressure. His wife shivered, sizzling electricity. He trailed a slow, tempting path of kisses up her neck. Felicity’s heart jumped and hammered, breath hitching. His teeth grazed her skin, then nipped. He sucked her pulsing point.

Heat exploded inside her. Oh how she missed this, his unique touch that could ignite a supernova within. She tilted her head, opening more space, as her eyes closed, lips parted, letting out gasps. She shivered and trembled in his lap.

Oliver bit the skin beneath her ear then his mouth played with her ear, her industrial piercing and when he nipped her earlobe she moaned.

“Felicity...” he breathed, deep, full of devotion and need. Praying, asking, begging.

Then suddenly his touches stopped. His body tensed and she knew he was restraining himself. He moved his head to face her, breathing heavily. His pupils were wide.

“Felicity.” Her name sounded like an entire speech. “I...”

She stopped him, placing a finger on his lips. Just one look and she knew what he meant.

After Mia was born, her libido crashed. Not unusual after birth. Felicity was a bit frustrated, but Oliver was patient and amazing as always and said would wait for her. The day they tried to return to intimacy was the day the Monitor showed up.

And now, her wonderful husband, who spent too much time away, remembered perfectly her struggle, came back and was being sweet out of pure respect for her.

Suddenly she understood why he barely touched her since their reunion kiss.

But that was months ago and she no longer felt like that. She missed him, heart and soul and body.

Smiling, she leaned into him, one hand moving to his head and gripping strands of his hair, which was the perfect length she liked. Her nails brushed his scalp and his eyes fluttered shut, the beginning of a growl making his chest vibrate.

“Oliver, I miss you. I want you”, she confessed feeling the desperate need in her core. She traced his lips with the tip of her tongue. “It’s been too damn long”, she whispered so, so close their heavy breathing mingled.

“I need you”, he grunted, the perfect tone that shot up her arousal. She trembled, pure fire pooling on her lower belly. “I need you to feel fully alive again.”

She left his lap and got up. Oliver looked at her quizzically, but she gave him a saucy smile and extended her hand. He stood, taking it, and they rushed back inside. As soon as she closed their bedroom door, her husband enveloped her waist with one arm, slightly lifting her off ground, and pushed her against the nearest wall.

And then it was fire and electricity and heat. A world-consuming embrace.

They kissed each other like they were the air they needed to breathe. It was intense, deep, desperate and amazing. She let out a moan, and Oliver slipped his tongue inside and she welcomed him back. Her arms bended around his neck, fingers moving up and tangling with his hair.

They tried to keep control like earlier and enjoy the sensations they awoke on one another, the feeling of their bodies together, their mouths against the other. But the kiss spiraled. Love and yearning took over. Oliver’s restraint faded and it only made Felicity eager.

There was no space between them as their hands explored one another, needing to be everywhere at the same time. Hers slipped under his shirt, finding smooth skin, solid bumps of muscle and scar. His trailed her entire body, grabbing her neck to angle and deepen the kiss, caressing her arms, the sides of her body, her belly. Felicity had the earth-shattering feeling of Oliver being _everywhere_.

His hands grabbed her thighs and she responded wrapping her legs around his waist, and feeling him there so hard, so close to where she wanted, ached for him, after so damn long nearly almost made her come undone.

“Gotta be quiet, Felicity”, Oliver panted against her skin after nipping her jaw with a mischievous tone because he knew damn well what he was doing. She gritted her teeth to contain herself and ranked her nails down his back, now naked and go figure when she took off his shirt.

He was right, but how could she keep her mouth shut when her insides melted like lava and her husband drove her insane? His tongue danced against hers in perfect harmony with his hips bulking into hers, trapping her so deliciously on the wall, and his fingers traced and rubbed her breast.

Euphoria exploded inside Felicity and when she came down from the rush, heaven knows how much time later, collapsing on top of him then on the bed, sore and lose limbs, sheltered by her husband’s embrace, she felt truly home.

They contacted her. Asked her to come to the Green Arrow’s funeral. Still in her blissful bubble, Felicity was hit with the reality of the ruse. Looking at the hero himself right by her side, she agreed. She had to go, obviously, along with William and play the part of a widow.

The call made her realize if anyone should learn the truth. She and Oliver discussed briefly, and cogitated that maybe one day Diggle should know. And no one else.

“He’s feeling guilty”, Oliver said with a shadow covering his features.

“He’s destroyed.”

Felicity knew he was dwelling in the lie everybody else was living. But it was something he had to learn to live with.

“Don’t go there, baby.” She approached him and caressed his chest tenderly. “You did your share, sacrificed more than any other hero, saved the multiverse and you deserve the life you got.” She wrapped her arms around his neck and made him look at her. “Sure it’s not ideal, but it is a full life and you deserve it. You finally get to live your dream.”

He smiled and touched his forehead against hers. “And here I thought since there was no Arrow anymore your pep talks would be over.”

“And here I thought there would be no more brooding”, she teased back.

They smiled, lost in each other’s gaze. Felicity gave him a kiss before stepping down.

“I actually think it won’t be hard to play the grief-stricken widow. I mean, I felt that in my bones for a short while. And I think it will be good to channel this one last time to make it all go away, you know?” she confessed, growing serious.

“Makes perfectly sense.”

Felicity and William got dressed and ready to leave for Star City. Oliver was worried the way she knew he’d always worry. Caring was how he loved.

“This is so weird. Once in a lifetime experience”, William said before departure. “Kinda makes me feel like I live in a movie or a book. I need to practice my poker face when I say my sister is with the nanny.”

Oliver couldn’t help but chuckle at his son’s antics.

“But I’m actually glad it’s a fake funeral”, the boy said smiling at his father.

They said goodbye and hugged.

“Bye, Princess Mia”, William said brushing a kiss in his sister’s head, who was crouched in Oliver’s arms. She squirmed and buried her face in father’s chest and let out a low weep. “Oh she’s a bit upset today.”

Felicity approached and looked at her baby with a clenched heart. She hated seeing her upset. “It’s teething”, she stated. “She’s annoyed.”

“Don’t worry, I got it covered”, Oliver assured.

Since she woke up crying, only Oliver could make her shush. Her father’s embrace was the only thing that calmed Mia, and seeing Oliver so touched that she sought to him for comfort made Felicity happy. Mia was clingy today and Oliver loved it. She could tell her husband was excited to have so much time alone with the baby, taking care of her.

“I know you do”, Felicity said softly. “It doesn’t bother her much when she’s with her daddy because daddy makes her feel safe and protected”, she added making baby voice.

Mia sneaked a peek at her mother, head still laid on Oliver’s shoulder. Felicity gave her a motherly and tender smile and lightly caressed her cheek with the back of a finger. Mia allowed.

“Oh it tickles, huh?” Felicity grinned and moved her finger again. She knew not to exaggerate otherwise Mia would loudly protest again. Her heart burst when Mia smiled, dimple showing. Oliver opened a boyish grin, his own dimples showing, and Felicity thought she’d turn into a pile of goo with the sight of her two adorable, dimply dorks.

“Bye, sweetheart.” She nuzzled her daughter then approached her husband. “See you soon, my love.” Standing on tiptoes, she brushed her lips on his. But Oliver had other ideas and with his free arm, circled her waist and thoroughly kissed her.

Mia yelped and they broke apart.

“Is someone bothered by teething” Felicity smiled again glancing at her tiny human. “Or is it jealousy?”

“Who is she jealous of?” William asked. “Mom or dad?”

“I think mom”, Oliver said amused. “I get it, sharing mom sucks.”

“Well, I think she’s jealous of daddy”, his wife said cheerful. “Don’t worry, baby girl, he’s all yours for a while.”

Shyly, Mia hid her face in dad’s henley again and nuzzled into him.

Felicity pecked her husband once more.

“I miss you already”, he pouted.

“You look exactly like your daughter now”, Felicity giggled.

They were about to get late but she just couldn’t not cherish that moment of joy with her family.

“Think about it, when we get back, we’ll have so much to live, so many new stories to write and share.”

Oliver’s eyes shone. “I can’t wait.”

Felicity and William at last left. But for the first time in forever, Felicity knew it wasn’t really goodbye, just a ‘see you soon’.

No more goodbyes were in their way.

**Author's Note:**

> I know William wasn’t there in canon, but it felt wrong writing a reunion without him. Imagine that E16 Oliver/Spoliver put him there haha 
> 
> This is my first fic challenge and hope I did it right! It hit me this fic works for the Fluff and Reunion prompts too, but they were not my focus. I have a few other Q&C ideas but don’t know if I’ll post them, I’m writer’s block in human form. 
> 
> Feel free to check my other works if this is your first time with me.  
> Thank you so much for reading! Kudos/comments are always appreciated.


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